US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT2484

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 002484 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA AND EB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2015 
TAGS: EPET, ENRG, ECON, KU, OIL SECTOR 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT ENERGY DIALOGUE:OPEC PRODUCTION LIKELY TO 
REMAIN AT 30.3 MILLION BPD 
 
REF: STATE 96427 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.5 (d). 
 
1. (C) Ambassador spoke with Energy Minister Shaykh Ahmed 
Al-Fahd Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah on June 6 to discuss points in 
reftel.  He appreciated information about U.S. energy 
planning and initiatives.  As for OPEC production, he noted 
that at the Isfahan meeting production had been around 28.8 
million barrels per day (bpd), while since then it had 
climbed to 30.3 million bpd.  He said that he was confident 
that official production would stay at these levels through 
the next OPEC session, noting that that prices are still 
high.  He said that his soundings with OPEC colleagues 
indicated that they are comfortable with keeping production 
levels stable. 
 
2.  (C) Shaykh Ahmed has made a number of statements to the 
press indicating the same approach as he outlined to 
Ambassador.  Most recently, Reuters reported that Shaykh 
Ahmed indicated on June 6 that OPEC might raise its output 
ceiling at the June 15 meeting in Vienna.  Reuters quoted 
Shaykh Ahmed as commenting that "Prices are too high and we 
have to do something.  So, maybe we'll increase the ceiling 
because of the prices."  However, he cautioned that since 
OPEC member states are already exceeding their production 
quotas, raising the ceiling would likely have little impact 
on OPEC's overall output. 
 
3.  (C)  Shaykh Ahmed will travel to the United States at the 
end of the month with the Kuwaiti Prime Minister.  Ambassador 
noted that there might be an opportunity to meet with 
Secretary Bodman.  The minister said he was eager to do so, 
 
SIPDIS 
as he had not met the Secretary, while many of his 
counterparts had. 
LEBARON